The Mavericks:

What do you get when you mix the accordion, red shoes, vintage '50's suits and the best dance moves since James Brown? Jerry Dale McFadden! As The Mavericks' keyboardist, harmony vocalist and one-man dance revue, Jerry Dale has become the unofficial "Fifth Maverick," touring and recording with them, as well as being featured in two of their videos ("There Goes My Heart" and "Dance The Night Away").

Born in Cooper, TX, Jerry Dale grew up in Texas and Oklahoma. When he was in the second grade, his parents traded a boat for a piano so that he could take lessons. But after five years, Jerry Dale decided that he knew everything. "I thought I could play more than the teacher could," he says, so he quit taking lessons.

Now, though, he feels more like a hack and wishes he had time to take lessons again. Jerry Dale moved to Nashville to attend college at Belmont, and quickly made a name for himself around town, playing in live shows and even recording an album in 1986, called "Stand And Cast A Shadow."

During his travels with The Mavericks, he still meets people from all over the country who own that record, including "Smilin'" Jay from BR5-49, who told JD that listening to it inspired him to move to Nashville! Jerry Dale also toured with Skip Ewing, Amy Grant, Wes King and Jason Ringenberg (Jason and the Scorchers) in his pre-Mavericks days.

In 1993, Jerry Dale met Raul at a writer's night at which they were both performing. Raul played first ("He knocked my socks off," says J.D.) but stayed to listen to Jerry Dale playing accordion and singing with a friend.

When he was finished, Raul asked if he also played piano, and if he'd be interested in playing with The Mavericks.

After jamming with the entire band a few months later, Jerry Dale played his first gigs with them during their trip to Brazil later that year. By the time Jerry Dale played his first gig in Nashville with the band, he was so well-known to local club owners, that the band's show was billed as "The Mavericks featuring Jerry Dale McFadden."

The Mavericks had no idea at the time what a celebrity they'd hired to perform with them In addition to touring and recording with The Mavericks, Jerry Dale has recorded with Jason and the Scorchers and Jill Sobule, as well as touring with Jill in '97 during The Mavericks hiatus.

He's also had his songs recorded on albums by Jason and the Scorchers ("Clear Impetuous Morning") and Cheap

Trick ("Cheap Trick" -- two songs written by J.D. and Robert). He also plays in Swag, a band which includes

Robert and Paul, as well as members of Cheap Trick and Wilco.

Considering all of his talents, Jerry Dale has been a great addition to The Mavericks!